One-piece ostomy appliances are often provided with belt-attachment rings so that a wearer may connect a support belt to the appliance to provide additional security in holding it in place. The term "one-piece" as commonly used in this field means a unitary appliance in which the pouch and adhesive faceplate are permanently joined together, in contrast to a two-piece appliance in which a pouch and faceplate are detachably connected by a pair of mechanical (or adhesive) coupling rings. One-piece appliances equipped with such belt-attachment rings are disclosed, for example, in co-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,523,534, 3,822,704 and 4,213,458. Belt-attachment rings, where they are provided, are usually heat sealed or otherwise secured to the pouches, although co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,182 discloses a construction in which a separate belt-attachment ring may be added by the patient by first collapsing the pouch and inserting it through the opening of the ring until the ring is in the position depicted in FIG. 4 of that reference.
It is also known to provide ostomy appliances with relatively rigid convex pressure rings for the purpose of increasing stomal protrusion when the appliance is worn, thereby aiding in the discharge of effluent directly into the pouch and also prolonging the effectiveness of the adhesive seal between the faceplate and peristomal skin surfaces. Reference may be had to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,834,731 and 4,973,323 for examples of appliances having such pressure rings.
Where an appliance is equipped with both a convex pressure ring and a belt-attachment ring, the close proximity of the two rings and their stiffness may make it difficult for a wearer to connect or disconnect a belt from the connecting loops or tabs of the belt-attachment ring. Even where a convex pressure ring is absent, it may be difficult for a wearer to fit his/her fingers between the connecting tabs of the belt-attachment ring and the adhesive faceplate because of the stiffness of the ring and the close proximity of the annular area of connection between the ring and the faceplate on which it is mounted. Also, it has been found that the customary stiffness of a belt-attachment ring may have the undesirable effect of interfering with the flexibility of those portions of an adhesive faceplate that should be free to conform to the anatomical contour of peristomal body surfaces and to changes in such contour as a patient moves about.
One aspect of this invention therefore lies in providing an ostomy appliance with a belt-attachment ring that does not impair the flexibility and conformability of an adjoining faceplate and that also allows a user to shift the belt-attachment ring away from the faceplate to facilitate access to the connecting tabs of the ring when a belt is to be attached to or detached from the appliance. All of this is achieved while at the same time providing a construction in which there exists a positive connection between the belt-attachment ring and the remainder of the appliance, thereby assuring that the belt-attachment ring will remain properly oriented with respect to other components of the appliance when that appliance is worn with a supporting belt.
Briefly, the appliance of this invention including a relatively stiff belt-attachment ring which extends about the periphery of a thin, highly-flexible, annular web. The annular web has its inner margin joined to the pouch and faceplate along a first attachment zone concentric with the ring and spaced a substantial distance radially inwardly from that ring. Consequently, the belt-attachment ring is supported for limited floating action, with freedom to move limited distances in axial directions, independent of the pouch and faceplate. Because of such floating action, the belt-attachment ring does not impair flexibility of the faceplate and its ability to conform to peristomal surfaces, and the ring may be easily urged axially away from the faceplate to a limited extent to facilitate attachment and detachment of a belt while the appliance is worn.
Other features, advantages, and objects of the invention will appear from the specification and drawings.